Keene's edition of the Eclogues - attributed to Calpuriius Siculus - has long been out of print, though it remains the standard in English for any study of the poems. Keene established that seven poems by Calpurnius were of Neronian date, while the remaining four ascribed to the collection were of later date (probably Severan) and by Nemesianus.

This book, with its critical apparatus, and workmanlike annotation, comes at a time when interest in Neronian 'propoganda' has been increasing. It is one in a series, Classic Latin and Greek Texts in Paperback, which featuring works less frequently studied in the mainstream.